East of England Ambulance Service criticised in disability survey

The survey was commissioned by the East of England Ambulance Service to better understand the experiences of its colleagues.

More than 300 staff with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions were invited to respond, with 71 per cent of colleagues taking the opportunity to share their stories.

Several key issues were highlighted, including the poor training of some managers in respect of disability and neurodiversity, and the existence of policies which risk unlawful discrimination.

The use of inappropriate language and a lack of cultural awareness were also flagged, and some line managers were criticised for displaying “inappropriate leadership behaviours”.

The Trust has published its stark findings, which includes that almost six in ten colleagues feel uncomfortable presenting their “whole self” at work - irrespective of their disability.

One colleague revealed: “I have been directly 'outed', mocked and asked why I am doing my job in front of colleagues and a deceased patient and bystanders.”

Another said: “I can talk to management, but management don’t care, and I am still threatened with job loss every time I exceed the sickness allowance which makes me feel anxious and like I should come back even though I’m not well enough to do so.”

EEAST has published an initial draft of an action plan in response to the findings of its survey.

The actions include adding a disability module to its corporate induction, creating a central point of contact for advice on reasonable adjustments, and introducing mandatory disability awareness training for all managers.

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Some of the findings were consistent with those found in an earlier survey of colleagues from black and minority ethnic groups.

One worker felt diversity in the Trust’s recruitment processes was merely a tick-box exercise and “not because they want to employ an incredible mix of people”.

They added: “There is still a huge stigma surrounding many things, whether that be sexuality, disability, or mental health, making it difficult to open up in fear of judgement or victimisation.”

A similar survey focusing on the experiences of colleagues who identify as LGBT+ is also expected to be published.

The boss of the ambulance service has personally apologised to ambulance workers who have fallen victim to discrimination.

'I am sorry'

Reflecting on the findings of its survey, EEAST’s chief executive Tom Abell admitted there is a lack of awareness within the Trust.

Sorry - Tom Abell

“We commissioned this independent research to better understand the working lives of our colleagues,” explained Mr Abell.

He added: “It shows that there is a lack of awareness which can lead to discrimination and inappropriate language along with some instances of poor behaviour at the Trust.

“Respondents also felt that concerns were not always dealt with effectively. I am sorry to all of my colleagues who have experienced discrimination.”

Addressing the next steps, he continued: “I am clear that behaviour like this has no place in our Trust and will be eradicated.

“We have a wide-ranging plan to tackle this behaviour and make EEAST a more inclusive place to work. We have made good progress to improving our culture - as shown by our recent improved report from the Care Quality Commission.

“We would like to thank everyone who participated in the research and colleagues who continue to give us feedback on where we can do better.”